“I applaud the President and Attorney General’s decision today to uphold the Constitution and to decline to defend the federal ban on same-sex marriage,' California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris said. “It has long been my view that such a ban on same-sex marriage cannot be sustained under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment – a view of the law rooted in a proud line of American jurisprudence stretching back over 50 years.

“The fundamental oath one takes as the People’s counsel is to defend and uphold the Constitution of the United States. Attorney General Holder is doing so in his principled refusal to uphold a law that violates the Constitution’s basic guarantees of equality and fairness. I applaud his and the President’s courage in doing so and will continue our work to secure marriage equality for all Californians.”

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State of California Department of Justice Office of the Attorney General